Palestinian artist Sarah Bahbah has criticized Selena Gomez for purportedly ripping off her work. And this isn’t the first time, either.
In a now-viral post, the artist pointed to several similarities between some of her own art and Selena Gomez’s new “Love On” music video.
“I heavily consulted with people I really respected in this entertainment industry … about whether I should go public with this,” she said. “I decided to speak out because what I’m about to share happens so often to women of color in this industry.”
For a start, Sarah Bahbah notes how “Love On” is shot in the same place Bahbah shot not one, but two of her short films.
She then singles out numerous shots in Love On — like Selena Gomez lying on the couch, dancing on a table, and drinking coffee in a bathroom. She compares them to similar shots and creative choices she made in a music video she directed for DJ Kygo.
In June 2018, Sarah Bahbah criticized the use of artsy captions and other stylistic choices in Selena Gomez’s “Back To You” music video. These choices closely mimicked Bahbah’s own signature style.
“I don’t claim to own the use of subtitles on images either, but it’s definitely a signature of my work that has further established me in this industry,” Sarah Bahbah said at the time.
But is history really repeating itself? For Bahbah, it’s too much of a coincidence for it to have happened twice.
“I used to believe imitation is the highest form of flattery,” Babah added. “[But] when does one artist inspiring another cross the line into possibly using someone else’s work without permission? Where is the line between inspiration and a mother fucking IP lawsuit?”
Representatives for Selena Gomez and Sarah Bahbah did not respond to Passionfruit’s request for comment via email.
